Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Time to tease!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

Today I will have slightly different teasers, than usually and the teasers are coming from two wonderful books! Today's teasers are part of The Childe Blog Tour and are from The Childe and Dark Days, which is a sequel for The Childe.

Besides that, you can participate in the contest for winning Kindle Fire today! The details are below the teasers.

So let's start!

The Childe Teaser:

The lights dimmed. A haunting melody began to flow from the speakers. Cat continued to sway to the music with Ryan, oblivious to the people around her. After bumping into someone Cat opened her eyes, startled to see she was engulfed by fog. She couldn’t feel Ryan holding her, he was gone. She was all alone on the dance floor. The music slowly faded and the fog began to dissipate. Looking around she realized she was in an unfamiliar room. The walls and floors were made of pristine white marble. The room was in shambles. The only light source was a broken glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Shards of glass littered the area around her. A fierce wind howled through the room, bringing with it stinging rain which chilled Cat to the bone. Lightning lit up the sky and the rumble of thunder quickly followed, causing more glass to splinter off from the broken windows and crash to the floor. Cat stepped back and was startled as more glass shattered at her feet. A moaning sound drew her attention to a figure lying on the floor. She realized it was a woman covered in glass, clutching her head in pain with tiny cuts visible all over her body. The woman began to scream, causing Cat to back further away. Seeming to feel Cat’s presence, the woman whipped her head around glaring at her through her wiry black hair. She hissed, baring her fangs, her eyes blazing with hatred. Cat tried to scream, but it was caught in her throat. She felt weak as if her energy was being drained, and then nothing but darkness.

Realizing it was only minutes until the bell, Cat rushed down the hall toward her locker after saying her hurried goodbyes. Not wanting to be late, she feverishly dialed in her lock combo and threw it open, grabbing for her biology notebook. Losing her grip on it, it fell to the ground. As she bent down to pick it up, a large, polished, black boot stepped down on it. “I kind of need that,” she said, trying to wrestle it from underneath the shoe. Letting out a frustrated sigh she stood up and came face to face with Isaac, who was grinning devilishly at her.

“Can I have my notebook, please?” Cat asked, anger showing in her eyes.

“Sure, by all means, take it,” he replied innocently. Cat bent down and grabbed for it, noticing that more people had gathered behind him. She tried to pry the book from under his foot, but to no avail. Standing up abruptly, Cat glared at Isaac again. This time she was met by the evil stares of not only Isaac, but also Amelia, and the Stone twins.

“No, actually I was just leaving,” Cat replied bluntly. Anger surged through her as she bent down and grabbed for her notebook again. Isaac applied more pressure on it. Cat grabbed his ankle tightly and threw his foot off the notebook, causing him to stumble backward. After picking it up, she glared at Isaac and his group. Isaac stared at her in shock as Cat walked away.

“How did she do that?” Isaac asked confused.

“Why did you let her go?” Amelia asked.

“We thought we were going to play with her,” the Stone twins said in unison.

“Well I used all my strength to push down,” he replied, anger lacing his voice.

“All your strength, are you sure?” Amelia asked in a whisper.

“Yeah, all of my strength,” he replied with one eyebrow raised. The stunned group watched Cat as she hurried down the hall.

Wow! I haven't read Dark Days yet, but honestly, I cannot wait! The book is on its way to pop up in my mailbox and as soon as I get it, I will read and review it!

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the giveaway rules!

The Childe and a swag pack.

You can earn additional points for LIKEing specific pages and FOLLOWing specific pages towards the GRAND PRIZE!!
There will be a RANDOM comment chosen from ONE blog each week for the winner. *SO make sure you COMMENT on each and every blog post to increase your chances of winning, every day, each week*

WIN A KINDLE - FIND THE ANSWER GAME

“Find The Answer” Game Details: This is the main way we are going to get you involved to win the Kindle Fire. Every time a blogger posts a post, we will wait until we get at least 5 comments (from different people) until we post our question in the comments section. The question will deal with something about the post, so you will have to read each post to find the answer. You will have to submit your answers to kindlefirechilde@gmail.com for every question to get the biggest point value. Here is the point break down:

For each post there will be a possible 10 points to gain:
5 points - for answering the question correctly through email
1 point – for following the blogger’s blog (must post their GFC name)
1 point – for tweeting about the blog post (must post their link)
1 point – for following C.A. Kunz’s blog (must post their GFC name)
1 point – Sharing the post on Facebook (must post their link)
1 point – Like either C.A. Kunz’s Facebook page or The Childe Facebook Page.

So start commenting!!!! And come back to see, if there are 5 comments, because then the question comes!

Monday, January 30, 2012

This post is little delayed today. I planned to post it earlier, but there is a snowstorm in Istanbul which is very unusual here and the plain was delayed for hours. Anyway, I am here now and I can post what was planned for today!

I have a visitor today, author Clarissa Yip gave me an interview and you will see the result below. it is my second stop at Clarissa's blog tour and I am delighted to have her here. So, ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the author of many published books - Clarissa Yip!

The interview is divided into several sections. First section is about Clarissa, second section is about her books, writing them, about characters etc, third part is about her favorites.

Part I

MR: Please describe yourself with few sentences. Who are you?

CY: I’m a contemporary romance writer with an addiction to coffee and cupcakes. Throw in sugar or anything with frosting, and I’m there.

MR: What inspired you to want to become writer?

CY: A lot of things, really. I’ve been writing since I was a kid, but never thought about making writing a career until I decided to upend my life and make a drastic change.

MR: Who did you want to become when you were a kid? What did you dream about?

CY: When I was a kid, I always thought I would be a doctor, then a translator, then an FBI agent…the list could go on…lol.

MR: What brought you to writing? When did the idea of writing your first book formed?

CY: I’ve always been an avid reader. Stories floating in my head. Writing is actually very therapeutic for me. It’s what kept me sane when I felt lost in life. My first idea for my book…I really can’t remember but I do have a bunch of manuscripts since I was nine. None that I would show anyone, though. Lol.

MR: What do you do when you are not writing? Do you have any hobbies?

CY: I love playing video games, scrapbooking, trying new foods, traveling, reading, watching new shows. I also love finding new music to compliment my writing moods.

MR: What is the most difficult aspect of being a writer for you?

CY: Most difficult aspect would be not accomplishing what I set out to do. The roadblocks that I come across and having to persevere. But I don’t believe in giving up. There’s a right time and place for things to happen.

MR: If you wouldn’t be a writer, what would you be and do?

CY: If I weren’t a writer, I would be a business woman of sorts. Maybe a marketer. A full-time student for life until I die. LOL. Or maybe I would actually do something that entails me to travel all over the world.

MR: Who or what is your Muse?

CY: My muse is an evil being, relentless, playful, and always wreaking havoc on me. She likes to evade writing and run off to the beach or go on vacations without me. Always arguing with me and changing the plot lines and influencing my characters to rebel…so yes, she’s evil.

MR: Did you ever experience writer’s block when the writing process just wasn’t moving ahead?

CY: I have writer’s block many times. It’s just how I handle it and learn to move on.

Part II

Let’s talk about books!

MR: You have many published books. Would you briefly give us an overview how many published books do you have and what are these about?

CY: Currently I have out 9 books and 2 print books.

Love by Auction – A second chance love story where my prim and proper Rebecca finds herself auctioned off for a date to her ex-fiancé, Mark.

Unforeseen Reunion – a revenge story where Cara comes back to seek revenge on popular jock Brant, from high school who had made her life hell, only to fall in love with him all over again.

Snowy Encounters – Maddie returns to town and finds herself rescued from an avalanche by her ex-husband Cole.

One Unexpected Night – With a track record for being dumped on holidays, Tara ends up having a passionate night with her ex- fiancé Kane, and she runs, only to have him chase her.

Bachelor’s Return – James is determined to keep his bachelorhood until he finds his nemesis in tight leather, working at a dance club, and sees “the brat” as a woman…

Tempting a Cowboy – Geeky Shane McCormick goes to Vegas and is set up on a date…with his sister’s best friend.

Tempting a Prince – Sarah is determined to get over her childhood crush, Evan, and plans on having an adventure in Vegas, only to be paired up with the Prince Charming of her dreams.

Silent Night’s Seduction – Cowgirl Lily McCormick is kidnapped and brought to Alaska for a date…with her ex-husband. Sparks fly and desire is rekindled, but will their love bring them back together?

One Chance – Shy tomboy Jenna is determined to save her best friend, Cade, from making the biggest mistake of his life. And seduction is the only answer.

My next release will be in February called True Connections, which is part of the Valentine’s Anthology for Entangled Publishing’s new Ever After Line. I’m very excited.

MR: How do you manage to be so productive with your writing?

CY: I actually wish I was more productive. It’s taken me about a year and a half to have this many releases and I hope 2012 will be a golden year. I need to focus more and concentrate on my writing. I’m very easily distracted. Ooohhh, look! Shiny! Um…you were saying?

MR: Why did you choose to write erotic books?

CY: It just kind of happened. I still blush when I talk about sex scenes, which are the hardest scenes for me to write in any book. Even the first kiss is hard for me to write.

MR: What went through your mind when the first book you wrote was published?

CY: Lol. Oh gosh. I thought, we’re they crazy? Lol. No seriously, I did. It was amazing considering how many rejections I’ve been through before I found a publisher willing to take a chance on me. I’m very grateful and hope I don’t disappoint anyone.

MR: How do you write? Do you sketch a plot first, create characters first and then starting to write?

CY: Usually I plot for a few days, get to know my characters, outline a little then start writing. What happens is my muse decides to make my life hard and change things on me and I end up pantsing.

MR: What do you think is the most important thing while writing?

CY: I think the most important thing is to keep writing. Don’t stop. Avoid distractions and get it done.

MR: Where did you get the idea for your book Tempting a Prince from? How was the book born?

CY: Tempting a Prince is actually Book 2 of my Tempting series with Decadent Publishing. As part of the 1Night Stand Series, my mini-series involve three friends who venture to Vegas for a one-night stand. In Tempting a Prince, Sarah is looking for her Prince Charming and hoping to get over her childhood crush over her best friend’s brother, Evan…only he’s her imperfect Prince Charming.

MR: Which character can you mostly relate to in Tempting a Prince?

CY: I think I would relate to Sarah, since I’m still looking for Prince Charming to come and sweep me off my feet.

MR: What was the best winter read for you this winter? Why?

CY: Hmmm…I would have to say Reclaimed by Diane Alberts. Love the twists she put in the story. She’s a newbie author for me, so I’m looking forward to her next book. I also started reading Lora Leigh’s Tempting series also. Love military men.

MR: I must ask you about new book to be published. What will it be about? Anything you can tell us already?

CY: My new release coming out in February through Entangled Publishing is called True Connections, part of their new Ever After line, and Valentine Anthology. My heroine, Lia owns a matchmaking company and her grandmothers approach her to find her nemesis a date for the Valentine’s party. Only she finds herself making a pact with Max to keep their grandmothers happy. There’s humor and definitely some hot moments. I had a lot of fun writing it, and my editor is wonderful. It’ll be the perfect Valentine’s read.

Part III – Favorites

Who is your favorite author? Current favorite author is Lora Leigh. Otherwise, I’m a sucker for J.R. Ward books.What is your favorite book or series? Favorite series is J.R Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series. And also Lorelei James’s Rough Riders series.What is your favorite book blog you follow? There’s too many to follow! When I do have time, I’m usually checking out Wendy the Super Librarian’s blogs. Love her humor.What is your favorite song? Favorite song currently is Kelly Clarkson’s StrongerWhat is your favorite season? Fall, because of the different colors and warm but cool weather.What is your favorite food? Sushi, I miss having sushi in Hawaii where there are restaurants with sushi plates on the rotating belt.What is your favorite car? Anything sporty and fast.What is your favorite color? Current favorite color is purple. Was pink.What is your favorite movie? Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley.What is your favorite time of the day? Dusk, because I can’t see my face clearly in the mirror and the pinkness in sky makes my skin look good. Okay, weird answer.What is your favorite weather? Where it’s not too hot or cold, but perfect for me to run around in flipflops.

Thank you so much for having me!

-------

Thank you Clarissa for finding time to answer my questions! It is highly appreciated!

The next stop of the blog tour is 1st of February @ Hesperia Loves Books. Have fun with the rest of the blog tour!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

I wanted to share some preliminary information to you. I will travel to Istanbul, Turkey next week and it might influence the number of posts coming from 30th of February until 3rd of February. I will of course post all the planned and scheduled posts what I have committed to, so no worries about that. It's mostly about that I do not know how much time I will have for posting everything else.

I have finished 4 chapters of the book I am writing and looking for a critique partner, so if you'd like to join in with my writing process, feel free to let me know. Since I am writing in English I would need a person who is native speaker and who has patience with me. :) I am already looking for the possible publishers and checking the submission dates, because I want to be prepared - for everything. I had my sister reading the beginning of the book yesterday and continue sharing with her, too. So far, she has enjoyed it, she was giggling while reading and encouraged me a lot. The book will be approximately 80.000 words, so there is a long way to go, but I am sincerely enjoying it.

While blogging:

Blogging and everything related to that has been fun last week. I have got several review requests and also couple of reminders from the authors. I always enjoy the communication with authors! I got many books for March and April reviews and I have also tried to review the books I have purchased myself. It's fun to combine these things in a way that the balance between what I really want to read and the books I am picking for the reviews is existent.

I am preparing questions for several publishers at the moment, because I am planning to have several publishers visiting my blog in March -April and there will be both small and big publishers coming by.

I have advertising information page for some time now and I think the ads are starting to come up of the sidebar quite so soon.

I also prepared for spring reading. I looked through many catalogues for 2012 releases and made some requests for reviews, too. If everything goes as I'd like, then I will have some books reviewed before their releases.

Last, but not least, I ma already preparing my visit to US, to the BEA 2012. I have the flight tickets as mentioned earlier and now I am in the working process with finding sponsors. It's fun! I still need some clarifications about the hotel room and the good news for me are, that I do not need a visa! I have also started to contact the publishers and writers whom I know and who will be at BEA to meet with them... I can't wait!!! June still seems far away, but there are only 3 months to the beginning of BEA.
If you are at BEA and would like to meet, let me know. I am planning to do lots of interviews while I am there, too - both with authors and publishers.
I am not sure if I have mentioned, but I will have another person traveling with me. Her name is Maria and she will be assisting me before, during and after the big event. She lives in Germany and from June you will probably meet her here in my blog!

While reading:

I have read few books, so in 2012 I think I have managed to read 16 books already. There are new releases from 2012 and also books from 2011. I do not know if I have been lucky or picked up the right books, but the books I have read have been very very good! There has been some contemporary romances, some paranormal and fantasy books and also mystery books and historical novels, too!

My Kindle has been absolutely useful! I think I have managed to read more after I received it! Of course, the quantity is less important for me than quality, but at least now I can read book in places where I could not do it earlier. Love my new device!

Challenges 2012:

For 2012 TBR Pile Challenge I have read 2 books and one of the reviews is posted - Graveminder by Melissa Marr and the second review will also be up soon - Fallen by Lauren Kate.

For DAC 2012 I have read 1 book and the review is also posted - Life On the Edge. I am also participating with the same review in the DAC mini challenge for January for reading an e-book.

I also sent out two books in the frame of Random Acts of Kindness!

I will write the wrap-up posts for the challenges next week.

Facts and numbers:

The most popular post this week has been The Childe Blog Tour by C.A. Kunz with 149 pageviews, the second popular post this week is Reader Rally Giveaway Hop by Romance at Random with 78 hits. The third popular post is Winner of Dreaming of Books giveaway with 67 pageviews.

GFC followers increased from 1443 to 1779 during last four weeks. +336 followers.

The biggest number of visitors this week are from US - 723 hits, the second place goes to Netherlands with 146 hits and third place to Estonia with 99 hits and the fourth to Ireland with 61 hits.

Last week there were visitors from 21 countries.

Page views all time history shows 50.078. That is +9090 pageviews! That makes an average of 336 daily views.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Since Valentine's Day is not so far away, then Romance at Random is offering free excerpt! It would be good book to give to your Valentine!!!

FREE Excerpt from Emily March & Angel’s Rest (2/15/11)

It is the first in her Eternity Springs series:

Gabriel Callahan has lost everything that mattered. All he wants is solitude on an isolated mountain estate. Instead, he gets a neighbor. Vibrant, no-nonsense Nic Sullivan is Eternity Springs’ veterinarian, and she has an uncanny plan to lure this talented architect back to the world of the living. First with a dog, next with a renovation project, and, finally, with a night of passion that ends with a surprise.

Now a man still raw from tragedy must face the biggest struggle of his heart. Can he forgive himself and believe in the power of second chances? Dare he trust in the promise of a future and a brand-new family here in Eternity Springs?

When I wrote a guest blog at Romance at Random last week, there were actually many interesting comments which brought me to the topic I would like to write about today. The topic of the guest blog was eBooks versus paper books and the general result of it was, that many people read both.

The question I want to ask you today is what do you do with your paper books after you have read them?

Many people love paper books and so do I. I have quite huge "library" at home with hundreds of books on the shelves. I also know that many readers like me buy books, read them and... then what? I personally have kept all the paper books I have bought or received. I do re-read some of them, but I also do have books which I read only once and then they stay on the shelves.

As I see it, there are not many options:

Firstly, you keep all your books until the day you die and then your family members, kids, relatives get these books after you are gone. I don't want to be morbid here, but one sure thing in the life is, that everybody dies. For me, the storing is the problem very often. I do have many shelves, but at some point there will be the limit of not having place for them.

Secondly, you can give the books you have read and know that you will not re-read away to your friends who share the same passion for reading or donate them to libraries.

Thirdly, you can sell your used books. I know that many people sell their used books either on amazon or other sites. Personally I have never used that option myself, not yet at least.

My strong belief is, that books shouldn't just stay on the shelves to gather dust - they are too valuable, but I personally belong to the first option given. I do lend my books to friends happily as long as I am sure that I will get them back. So far I have kept all the many books what I have. I have to admit though that since I believe that books should not just stay and gather dust, I have started to consider option two and three too, but haven't come to that yet.

I also know that there are many books, that I would NEVER give away or sell, because I know that eventually I will come back to them and read them again. Signed books go under that category and of course favorite books from my favorite authors. I think I would never sell or give away the world classics' books, because I want my kid to read them when he grows to the reading age. My wish is to educate and lead him to the books and to the love for reading.

So the questions is what should I do with many other good books what I have which are definitely worth of reading for people who haven't read them yet? I don't know the answer. Honestly.

What do you do with the paper books you have read? Do you keep, give away or sell them?

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Time to tease!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser this week:

She sent a text to her best friend of nearly five years, Matthias. Hopefully he was free. He had a way of makingeverything seem better just by smiling at her.

Nineteen-year-old Emily is new to pairs skating, but she and her partner Chris have a big dream–to be the first American team to win Olympic gold. Their young coach Sergei, who left Russia after a mysterious end to his skating career, believes they can break through and make history.

Emily and Chris are on track to be top contenders at the 2002 Winter Games. But when forbidden feelings spark between Emily and Sergei, broken trust and an unexpected enemy threaten to derail Emily's dreams of gold.

My review:

WOW! I have always said that I am not into sports books and now I need to reconsider it seriously. At least when it comes to sports romance books I have changed my mind. Especially when it comes to ice skating romance books! Life On the Edge was an experience to me in so many different ways. Firstly, one of the few sports I am following and watching in TV is ice-skating. I grew up with it and I knew all the big names in ice skating, also the ones mentioned in Life On the Edge! Ice skating was the sport which was always broadcasted during the Soviet times because Russians were very good at that and I always was glued behind the TV because ice skating is one of the most beautiful sports in my opinion.

With that said, I loved Life On the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux. It was a beautiful book which showed the daily life of ice skaters and forbidden romance between the coach and the student. It was well written and easy to read and I could not put the book away – I read it in one standing!

Regarding the plot:

The reader is brought into the world of top level ice skating where Emily and Chris are fighting for their place for the Olympics team. Emily is new to the pairs skating but she has all what it takes to reach the top of pairs skaters – she is technically strong, competitive and an eloquent dancer. Emily and Chris are training under a Russian Coach Sergei who has a strong belief that these two can make their dreams come true!

Emily realizes that she is drawn to Sergei and that they have so much in common besides ice skating: music, books and that brings them too close to each other. What starts out as a friendship is quickly developing into something more; something more which is ethically wrong and forbidden – being in love. The results of that love can be devastating for both – it could end both of their carriers.

The ultimate aim for Emily, Chris and Sergei is to win the gold medal at the Olympics, but when Emily’s and Sergei’s relationship is coming out it can endanger everything for them. Besides that, Emily finds out about Sergei’s past and the reasons behind him topping his ice skating carrier so abruptly and these facts can put a stopper to the otherwise strong love.

I adored the writing which the author did with Emily’s and Sergei’s relationship. It was so intense, sweet, aching and at the same time real. It was not a fluffy-buffy love story, but a story where there were serious obstacles which usually happen in the real life and which were real due to Emily’s daily life described.

I also enjoyed the peek into the ice skaters life with lots of training, efforts, personal problems, competitions. Even though I do love ice skating, I do not know about the details behind the screen and I was glad that the author brought it closer to the reader.

Regarding the characters:

Let me put it that way – they seemed real and believable and that made them reliable as characters.

Emily was written as a strong personality who also has issues – insecurity, anxiety before the competitions, jealousy. I liked that Emily was not perfect, but she had a will as strong as hard metal and she was sweet and loyal.

Sergei balanced her very nicely. He was supportive to Emily and Chris, never gave up on them. He leaded them towards reaching their goals. Sergei has some secrets which he is trying to hide from Emily and that almost broke them apart, but he is consistent!

Chris was adorable! I think having a support from him was essential to Emily. Their relationship was heartwarming. Besides Chris there are many important supportive characters like Emily’s parents, her friends, Viktor, young skaters etc. Everybody fitted into the book and created a wonderful story around Emily and Sergei.

Generally:

Besides telling a very good story, the author gives reader so many positive emotions while reading. Life On the Edge was like a fresh breeze which brought warmth, energy and positive feelings to the reader. Absolutely loved it!

5 stars.

Thanks goes to Astrea Press and Jennifer Comeaux for providing me the book!

“I’m not a detective! I just played one on television!” Get ready to swoon over a new kind of amateur sleuth! From 1975-79 teen idol Sandy Fairfax recorded 10 gold albums and starred in the hit TV series Buddy Brave, Boy Sleuth. Now he’s a 38-year-old recovering alcoholic, forgotten and desperate for a comeback. An easy gig—a guest appearance at a Beatles fan convention in Evansville, Ind.—turns deadly after a member of the Mersey Marvels tribute band is shot. When police suspect Sandy, and he fills in for the dead musician at a concert, the schoolboy shamus is back in action to find the killer.

I received The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper from the publisher for reviewing already couple of months ago and have been quite late with my review. After finishing the book, I can only say that I am sorry I did not read it any earlier. It was so much fun to read this book!

My review:

If you want to read something which is entertaining, fun and has a good suspense story combined with Beatles music and good characters then The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper is definitely for you! Sally Carpenter’s book is well-written, humorous, and original and it is easy to read! I really enjoyed it!

Regarding the plot:

Meet Sandy Fairfax: Sandy is 38 years old man who used to be a pop-star and an idol for young fans for many years ago and who has been on the road of deterioration for a while. Since he needs some work he is accepting the offer from his manager to attend a Beatles convention as a guest speaker.

When he arrives, then everything is different than Sandy is used to – no limo to pick him up, no suite in the hotel, except the fact that he is still recognized and he still has a fan base. During the fan convention Sandy is ending up in the middle of the murder case and all the clues which are left behind are related to Beatles and their songs. In order to make sure that he is not accused as a murderer, he is using his knowledge from the TV-series he starred – Buddy Brave, Boy Sleuth – to solve the mystery.

I loved several aspects in the story. Firstly, I was fascinated by the details of fan convention. I have never ever attended at a fan convention and the spirit and the world of being a fan was very much fun to read about. How the characters know the details of their object of admiration, how they would choose no means to get a fan item – all that was put neatly to the paper by the author!

Secondly, the dialogue was very vivid between the characters! Besides that, the inner world of Sandy was very captivating; I really enjoyed reading the book from his point of view. Thirdly, I also loved how the author changed Sandy – he developed through the story in very positive way.

Regarding the characters:

I liked Sandy because he started out as a middle-aged degraded pop-star with alcohol issues into the person he once was – person who loves music and loves creating and making music. He also grew as a person inwardly from being arrogant into a man who actually has nice personality.

Bunny was annoyingly lovable. She was so into Sandy Fairfax that sometimes it seemed like harassment. She was smart and so keen to make sure that her idol Sandy was pleased. It was in one way very adorable and the other way also little too much.

The other supportive characters were interesting and believable which also shows that author has thought through the stories of even the smallest and less important people in the book: the hotel manager, band members, police detective – they were all well-written.

Generally:

The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper was very entertaining and good book! It’s a book which makes you laugh and smile and creates a lot of positive emotions for the reader. Even though there is a murder story in the novel, it still offers a very positive atmosphere and that is exactly the reason why this book gets a very good evaluation from me! Read it!

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the attention her grandmother Maylene bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the small town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn't a funeral that Maylene didn't attend, and at each one Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: She took three sips from a silver flask and spoke the words "Sleep well, and stay where I put you."

Now Maylene is dead, and Bek must go back to the place she left a decade earlier. She soon discovers that Claysville is not just the sleepy town she remembers, and that Maylene had good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in Claysville the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected; beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. If the dead are not properly cared for, they will come back to satiate themselves with food, drink, and stories from the land of the living. Only the Graveminder, by tradition a Barrow woman, and her Undertaker—in this case Byron Montgomery, with whom Bek shares a complicated past—can set things right once the dead begin to walk.

Although she is still grieving for Maylene, Rebekkah will soon find that she has more than a funeral to attend to in Claysville, and that what awaits her may be far worse: dark secrets, a centuries-old bargain, a romance that still haunts her, and a frightening new responsibility—to stop a monster and put the dead to rest where they belong.

My review:

It was the first Melissa Marr’s book for me. I have not read her YA books, so I did not have expectations to Graveminder either. I found the book in the book store and decided to read it. I enjoyed it. Graveminder was a spooky and fun book to read; it was well-written, the settings were good.

Regarding the plot:

The story starts with the death of Maylene, who is a caretaker of Claysville graveyard. After her death Rebekkah, the main character is moving into the house what Maylene left behind. Bek meets with a guy who she loved, with Byron, who works at his father’s funeral house. Strange things start to happen in Claysville and also with Bek who sees a dead girl. People in Claysville are dying in macabre ways and both Bek and Byron are trying to find out what is happening. Maylene’s family is also drawn into the story, where one of the family members is very envious and angry with Bek for reasons that Bek has no ideas about. Step by step Bek and Byronare getting closer to the reasons behind the deaths and clarifications who they really are – Undertaker and Graveminder.

The idea behind the story was interesting and different from what I have read before. Melissa Marr created a world which was special and filled with captivating characters and interesting turns.

Regarding the characters:

I was sometimes little bit confused with Bek who seemed indecisive and weak in some situations. Otherwise she was well written, she was smart, intuitive. She had a broken heart which needs to be protected. She had difficulties of letting go with her past and trust issues – so very complex character.

I liked Byron. He was like an anchor and light house for Bek – very supportive and patient with her.

The supportive characters were good, too and some of them were better written than the main characters.

Claysville with its history was an interesting place – no people got ill or diseases, people lived peacefully and yet, it was creepy to read about. There is something about the town which you cannot point out in the beginning of the story but as the story goes, the reader finds out about the deal with the Death.

Daisha was an interesting character – dead, but still alive. I liked her – touched by evil and yet does the good deed.

Generally:

I really enjoyed Graveminder by Melissa Marr and I will definitely keep an eye on her future books, too. Graveminder had unique settings, a world which was fanciful and creepy. It was easy to read and it was real page turner.

Fifteen year-old Payton MacGregor is a musical prodigy. To him, though, his music is merely a way for him to escape from the chaos that surrounds him. All of his life, he’s had to care for his mother, who copes with her bipolar disorder with booze instead of turning to her own musical talents. He refuses to become a statistic. Then he’s thrown a curve ball.

His mother suddenly dies, leaving him to be cared for by his aging grandparents. As much as they love him, they decide to send him halfway across Canada to live with his father, Liam—the man Payton always believed abandoned him and his mother. Payton isn’t making the relocation easy on anyone until he finds out he's going to attend the prestigious School of the Arts for musically gifted youth. Any second thoughts he has about his new life are erased when he meets Lily Joplin. Their connection is instantaneous.

Lily is a talented singer, but her struggles with drugs and bipolar disorder hit too close to home for Payton’s comfort. And when her issues become all-consuming, he wonders if his music will be enough to carry him through.

When wealthy and eccentric patriarch James Boyle dies a peculiar death, District Attorney Fowler declines to investigate, convinced that the victim died of natural causes. Yet even the police are stunned when members of the Boyle family gather for the reading of James' will--and begin to die, one at a time. Only when long-lost relative Bradley Smith appears, along with reporter Eric Maxwell, do the mysterious deaths finally receive a proper investigation. Even so, no one is prepared to hear the truth, or can comprehend the depth of the lunacy that hides beneath the mansion's bizarre facade.

Human sorcerers bent on power are disrupting the underworld with demonic possessions and L.A. with murders. Half-demon half-human, Thaddeus Kane is his demon clan's bloodhound, charged to detect the sorcerers and eradicate them. His personal rules have always been clear-save his clan, protect innocents, and survive.

So when a demon from another clan solicits his help, his first instinct is to blow her off, until she dangles his one weakness beneath his nose-a mortal threat to prophetic children. Loyalties stretched in his race to find pre-emerging Irins and wizards, Kane struggles to ward off an increasing threat to his clan. His previously harried, but manageable, life now swirls with secrets, until one fatal shot changes everything he believed about his past, turning the table on enemies and allies alike.

The opening of Pandora’s Box creates pandemonium in the office of the British Prime Minister. A team is assembled to solve a two hundred year old conspiracy in order to prevent the Box’s incredible secrets from being revealed to the world and plunging British society into chaos. Will the search for truth be successful? And will it result in the restoration of a country’s stolen heritage?

What is the bizarre umbilical cord that links the 200-year old theft of the Parthenon Marbles to the Turkish Governor of Athens, Jack the Ripper, Winston Churchill, the Titanic, Napoleon Bonaparte, the British Royal family, an obscure nineteenth century Italian artist and a Koala bear?

The British government’s decision to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece triggers the opening of Pandora’s Box, covertly held for over 100 years in the vaults of the British Museum. And thus the first appalling secret is revealed--the Parthenon Marbles are counterfeit.

A team comprising archaeological experts and secret service agents is assembled under the leadership of a young female lawyer and Parthenon expert. The team’s mission is to find the real Marbles, and ensure their return to Greece within a six-month deadline.

Success must be achieved against an intensifying background of treason, competition from an American billionaire collector, and the intervention of the Greek mafia.

The Darkening Dream is the chilling new dark fantasy novel by Andy Gavin, creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter.

Even as the modern world pushes the supernatural aside in favor of science and steel, the old ways remain. God, demon, monster, and sorcerer alike plot to regain what was theirs.

1913, Salem, Massachusetts – Sarah Engelmann’s life is full of friends, books, and avoiding the pressure to choose a husband, until an ominous vision and the haunting call of an otherworldly trumpet shake her. When she stumbles across a gruesome corpse, she fears that her vision was more of a premonition. And when she sees the murdered boy moving through the crowd at an amusement park, Sarah is thrust into a dark battle she does not understand.

With the help of Alex, an attractive Greek immigrant who knows a startling amount about the undead, Sarah sets out to uncover the truth. Their quest takes them to the factory mills of Salem, on a midnight boat ride to spy on an eerie coastal lair, and back, unexpectedly, to their own homes. What can Alex’s elderly, vampire-hunting grandfather and Sarah’s own rabbi father tell them? And what do Sarah’s continuing visions reveal?

No less than Gabriel’s Trumpet, the tool that will announce the End of Days, is at stake, and the forces that have banded to recover it include a 900 year-old vampire, a trio of disgruntled Egyptian gods, and a demon-loving Puritan minister. At the center of this swirling cast is Sarah, who must fight a millennia-old battle against unspeakable forces, knowing the ultimate prize might be herself.Legend of the Inero Dragon by J. F. Jenkins (Astrea Press, January 2012)

Twin brothers Jason and Matthias Inero are the favorite sons of the great dragon lord of fire. More often than not they get whatever they want. Matt wants to do great things for his people while Jason wants to go off and explore the world. Both can have what they desire, but not until they take a bride and enter into adulthood.

Enter Kat and Gwen, two girls from very different backgrounds. Kat is happy to leave her home when the royal guard comes to bring her to loving arms of her childhood sweetheart, Matt. Gwen on the other hand is livid to be taken from her farm only to be thrust into Jason's life, and he's not to thrilled with the idea either. They have one year to find happiness with each other, or else they will be placed at the mercy of the ruthless dragon lord Lynx. Favorite or not, dragon law must be obeyed.

As their nation begins to prepare for war against a neighboring tribe, the brothers find themselves as key components in the battle plans. A dark prophet has had a vision of Inero victory, but at what cost? Both must decide where their loyalties lie and what they're willing to sacrifice – including each other – to achieve their goals.

Love Thy Neighbour by Mark Gilleo (Perseus Dirtribution, April 2012)

Clark Hayden is a graduate student trying to help his mother navigate through the loss of his father while she continues to live in their house near Washington DC. With his mother’s diminishing mental capacity becoming the norm, Clark expects a certain amount of craziness as he heads home for the holidays. What he couldn’t possibly anticipate, though, is that he would find himself catapulted into the middle of a terrorist operation. As the holiday festivities reach a crescendo, a terrorist cell – which happens to be across the street – is activated. Suddenly Clark is discovering things he never knew about deadly chemicals, secret government operations, suspiciously missing neighbors, and the intentions of a gorgeous IRS auditor. Clark’s quiet suburban neighborhood is about to become o! ne of the most deadly places on the planet, and it’s up to Clark to prevent the loss of hundreds of thousands of innocent lives in the nation’s capital.

Sixteen-year old Mia Winterborne is destined to be special. Details are sketchy, though, as her dad disappeared with all the answers when she was five. Mia only knows that she'll inherit her kickass superpowers on her seventeenth birthday. Helping Mia prepare for her anticipated ascendancy is Loie Bryce, her best friend and eternal sidekick extraordinaire. The girls' intense friendship has never wavered until now, when Andreas arrives in Salcey Ridge. They both fall hard for the British hottie, who quickly becomes a fixture in their lives. When they discover that Andreas is not who he appears to be, the frightening reality of Mia's powers finally hits home. The nearer Mia's birthday draws, the more the danger escalates and long-buried lies are exposed, putting the girls on a path that they never expected.

Devotion by Kristie Cook (Ang'dora Productions, February 2012)

With powerful abilities gained from the Ang’dora and Tristan back by her side, Alexis thinks she’s ready for the next challenge—protecting her son from what appears to be the inevitable. But she has so much to learn about her powers, her new world and the people in it. Nothing is what it seems to be on the surface, including the Amadis. Having believed the secret society to be definitively good and righteous, she discovers she couldn’t have been more wrong.

Power-hungry politicians comprise the council and make impossible demands. A traitor lurks among them all, inciting trouble that could destroy the Amadis and, ultimately, humanity. The Daemoni wreak havoc in the human world, with the ultimatum that they’ll continue attacking innocents until Alexis and Tristan are expelled from the Amadis’ protection. The couple’s own society begins to shut them out. But that’s not all.

There’s a secret. A big one. And faith and hope in Alexis and Tristan will be restored if she can uncover the truth in time.

But the search for answers leads only to the discovery of more betrayals by those closest to Alexis. Her devotion is put to the test—devotion to her husband, to her family, to her people and to her beliefs—leaving her to question whom she’s fighting for and why she should even bother. But if she won’t fight … who will?

Trevor and Julia, a therapist, are on the verge of splitting because Trev can't quite commit to her. When he tells her about his buddy Astor's plan to launch a new Titanic, this breaks them apart completely. She thinks Astor has a tremendous, foolish ego to spend millions on such a goofy idea, but Trev is excited by the idea of writing the story of the new luxury liner full of specially chosen passengers. Trev boards the much-hyped remake of the liner, and begins to interview the various members of its crewandpassenger list. There is something truly mysterious about the folk on board, but when he meets Madeleine Regehr in a Winslet-like pose at the front of the ship, he forgets any doubts he has: Trevor is smitten. He and Maddy try to keep from falling in love, but the romance of the Titanic is impossible to resist. Still, the mystery as to why Harlan Astor, the descendant of the Astor who went down with the original Titanic, has brought in these particular people to fill his ship begins to take its toll on Trev, and he must know why Maddy and the others are there.

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

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